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Superstition Mountains
The Superstition Mountains, popularly referred to as "The Superstitions" or "The Supes", are a range of mountains in Arizona located to the east of the Phoenix metropolitan area. They are anchored by Superstition Mountain, a large mountain that is a popular recreation destination for residents of the Phoenix, Arizona area. The mountain range is in the federally-designated Superstition Wilderness Area, and includes a variety of natural features in addition to the mountain that is its namesake. Weaver's Needle, a prominent landmark and rock climbing destination set behind and to the east of Superstition Mountain, is a tall erosional remnant that plays a significant role in the legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine. Peralta Canyon, on the northeast side of Superstition Mountain, contains a popular trail that leads up to Freemont Saddle, which provides a very picturesque view of Weaver's Needle. Miner's Needle is another prominent formation in the wilderness and a popular hiking destination. As with most of the terrain surrounding the Phoenix metropolitan area, the Superstition Mountains have a desert climate, with high summer temperatures and a handful of perennial sources of water. The altitude in the more remote, eastern portion of the wilderness is higher than the western portion, which lowers temperatures slightly. Numerous hiking trails cross the mountains from multiple access points, including the Peralta Trailhead, the most popular. The Lost Dutchman State Park, located on the west side of Superstition Mountain, includes several short walking trails. The Superstition Mountains are bounded roughly by U.S. Route 60 on the south, State Route 88 on the northwest, and State Route 188 on the northeast. Legends of the The Superstition Mountains legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine centers around the Superstition Mountains. According to the legend, a German immigrant named Jacob Walzer (some sources offer other spellings of his last name, such as "Walz","Wolz","Walty","Waltz", and even "Miller"??) discovered a mother lode in the Superstition Wilderness and revealed its location on his deathbed in Phoenix in 1891 to Julia Thomas, a boarding-house owner who had taken care of him for many years. Several mines have been claimed to be the actual mine that Walzer discovered, but none of those claims have been verified. Some Apaches believe that the hole leading down into the lower world is located in the Superstition Mountains. Winds blowing from the hole are supposed to be the cause of severe dust storms Bureau 13 File The Superstition Mountains are a known nexus of Lay Lines. They are indeed a hole to other worlds and travelers into the mountains often go missing. More telling people are sometimes found that don't belong. The second most dangerous time to be in the Mountains is during the infrequent thunderstorms. Flash floods are not the camper's only concern. the most dangerous time without question is on the rare occasions the Aurora Borealis can be seen from Superstition Mountain. Only twice in recorded history has this event happened. \ *The first during a night encounter between US Calvary and Apache renegades. The few survivors of the Army were treated as madmen. Their fantastic tales of legions of men with swords fighting strange inhuman creatures, and getting mixed up in that battle got them put in the asylum. What the Army found there was never reported. Those Indians that came out alive begged cleansing of the shaman. They never spoke of it again, or went back into the Superstitions...ever. The long buried Army reports spoke of men in armor and medieval weapons as well as long dead creatures and the bloated corpses of creatures so mutilated they could not be identified. *The second was in 2011 and resulted in the reanimation of many of the dead from that battle. Breakout was made apparent at that time. No turning back. It is the most important single event in Bureau history. "The Superstitions" team is located just outside the designated wilderness area at "The Sheep Ranch" A working dude ranch that takes mundane customers and houses the team as well. The Superstitions are one of the few anchored Bureau 13 teams, however the activity of the location needs constant watching. Category:Earth Gazetteer Category:Supernatural Category:Bureau 13